12 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



MICHIGAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, 1905, having for its object the promotion of a ra- 

 tional system of forestry in Michigan. The society is managed by the following roster of officers: President, Hon. Chas. W. Garfield, of Grand 

 Rapids; Vice-President, John H. Bissell, of Detroit; Secretary, Filibert Roth, of Ann Arbor; Assistant Secretary, Henry G. Stevens, Detroit; 

 Treasurer, W. B. Mershon. Saginaw, W. S. Board of Directors Hon. T. E. Beal, Ann Arbor; J. J. Hubbell, Manistee; Mrs. Lena E. Mautnet, 

 Saginaw; Prof. James Satterlee, Lansing; J. C. Knox, Cadillac; W. E. Williams, Pittsford; Dr. Lucius L. Hubbard, Houghton; Mrs 

 John C. Sharp. Jackson. 



FOREST NURSERIES l )lace - Pulpless pods, like those of black locust, . The only accurate way to determine the qual- 



CV~VD Of*ur\r\i a ir ' ay be dried anc ' tne seeds thrashed out with a ity of seeds is by a germination test. One way 



r(JK SCHOOLS flail. Acorns of bur oak and of several other of making such a test, which can be employed 



species of oak which are difficult to remove conveniently in the case of the smaller seeds, 



r ,. . from their cups may well be left in storage with is to count out a number of seeds and place 



e s>eeds - their cups attached. Nearly all seeds, including them on a plate between two folds of moist 



In deciding what kinds of seeds to collect, those divested of hull or pulp, should be dried blotting paper. The larger the number of seeds 

 several things must be considered. Among slightly to prevent molding. Most tree seeds used the more accurate will be the results of 

 them are : w i" be gathered a few weeks before it is time the test. The number used will of course de- 

 ft i \vi, . to store them permanently for the 'winter and P elld on the supply at hand. If there is a plen- 

 :rees will grow in the locality? should be spread out to dry during the interval . tiful supply of seeds, at least 100 should be 

 Only those trees should be raised in the school Nuts and acorns are best kept on a dirt floor. used. On a slip of paper record the variety and 

 nursery which are suited to the local climate. All should be examined frequently for signs of number of seeds to be tested and the date. 

 For example, trees native to warm regions molding or of too much drying. If the seeds Place this record on the edge of the plate, 

 should not be planted in coid climates, nor a f e .molding they should be spread out_ to the Cover the whole with a pane of glass or an- 

 , air in thinner layers. If they are dryrng out ther plate and set in a warm room (68 to 86 

 require much moisture in and re- too much it can be dete cted by cutting into the deg. F.). Examine the seeds every 24 hours for 



seeds and examining the kernels. Any shrink- two weeks, or as much longer as may be neces- 



(2) Are they difficult to grow? Do they re- a ? e f the kernels will indicate a 1 drying out, sar y- Keep the blotting paper moist, but not 

 quire much care? Conifers, commonly known and this may be remedied by covering the seeds saturated. As soon as the seeds are well 



with clean sand or chaff. sprouted count out those which failed to ger- 



and^S S 'a^o? M recLmSj"fot e A! Acorns and other nuts are best stored during m te < d * this determine the percentage 



rseries becua4 of the mTt-Trt rar and a? tlie winter ** bei "S buried in sand in a "* ou * ? g ? ^ " ?" S percen , tage falls ve tf 



emion which thevreauireduHn^ th fit J a of doors - This P* should be situated on raised ow ' ! he ***** are f Pr qdity and should 



entior i tne> require during the first sea- . * insure trood drainage The be rejected if another supply which is 1 kely to 



best frTchoo^g e rowmg 0n sin C r e a oTth'm ^"s of L pit 'should be Cd & boards or &' Better results is available. If no others 



n t b f0 ^otS!on^wit^miSm f m ? tT kee P fh ut , mice ""d^irrel. Cover ^ ^ jad, pant the seeds more thickly in 



of attention tlle bottom with a layer of clean sand 2 or 3 u %, r . 



(3) Will the trees when irrown <; P rv P inches dee P- On this s P read a la y er of the nuts - v, 1 * method is a good one for small seeds, 

 u4ful mm M? It should a 1waV *! Z * a ot her la y" of sand, and so on until bl ! t . |f not applicable to acorns and large nuts, 



f the v T 3 ^ a " the seeds are stored. Then cover the whole whlch k would not ' of cours ^. be kept sufficiently 



should be "elected for nuTrv wnirh ,re with earth to * de P th f from * to 6 inches. To mo ' st ^ bl ttmg paper to render germinattion 



ia DC seiecte tor tne nursery which are washing bv rains orotect with -i roof ccrtain - Sucn seeds may be tested in shallow 



desirable for shade, fruit, or ornamentation, or P*" 1 ln g oy rams, P rc witn a root , f . , 



which will produce fuel or timber if transplant- of , . h " ard i > or ^'"g 1 ?*- . Any ordinary freezing 



ed to the field or woodlot whlch takes P lace dunn g the winter will not Preparing the Seed Bed. 



For these reasons it is usually well to collect d , amage , th f ,f eds / bu ? rat . her help ln P eni . n K The bed in which the' seeds are to be nlanteH 



the seeds of hardy species of broadleaf trees the hard shells thus insuring easy germination * * 



such as are common in the vicinity Through- i n the spring ' Alternate freezing and thawing, should be located on ground which is well 



out the greater portion of the eastern United however may prove disastrous by destroying drained. Level or gently sloping ground should 



States maples, locusts, ashes, elms, oaks, bass- , the vltallty of , the ,, S u i j whlch ,. have be selected, for if it is too steep the soil may 



wood, hickories, walnut, cottonwood, boxelder, been . ir . O7 - m shou ' d be P lanted immediately h h d ' 



and vellr>w nonlar arp nmr.no- the Vio=f for nlont u P on being removed from storage; a few hours C V . , , y - . 



among the best for plant- ^ * nrevent the trermination of manv ground wh ich has been under cultivation for a 



TV K d 7 reg ; nS> SUC A,, aS u the west J ern r parts of Them >' ear or mor e a " d which is well pulverized is 



of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, . , . . better for the nurnosp than n P w o-rrnmrl c;r,tr. 



trees must be selected which will rp<si<^ r1rr,,,<rht Another method of storing nuts is to mix ". u 



ash ,nd Rus them with a small quantity of dry chaff or straw ' mes the use of such ground can be secured on 



L muTberrv thk and P Ia =e them in a closely covered wooden the ed S 8 f cultivated fields or gardens border- 



purnow Nearly all he trees mentioned in box - Tbis box sbould then be sunk into the I!1 S on the school grounds. 



agraph cs wellas manvothTi uch as mae ground to within a few inches of the to P- and f ^ " t3 , "" ^ Sd - eCt 3 SitC 3WaV 



redbiid w low oak ^ and Mive o\k Sow ' <farth bea P ed U P over {t in a mound so as to / l ' Om i t 5 e P la >^ r ? und ' where it will not be 



sucssfutlyin The GuH * state In the pfcifk P^ '^ contents from frost and rains. It trampled, upon. Unless the plat of ground to 



ntheGU sbo Id ^ '< d " ^ ' * 



northwest, while some dimculty may be encoun- "" u "^ u "" ," 1 :, -rt,- i work done mav hp n\e]w 



tered in collecting seeds from native broadleaf ground, so that it will be kept dry. This method 



trees, any of the group indicated as available * storage is simpler than the stratification It there -s any choice to be had as to the kind 



for the eastern United States may be expected method described in the preceding paragraph, of soil, a loose, sandy loam should be chosen 



to thrive. and i likely, under ordinary conditions, to give rather than clay. In the majority of instances, 



Most tree seeds mature in the fall, and must J us * as satisfactory results. It is an especially however, schools will have to be content to put 



be gathered as soon as they ripen. The seeds of desirable method in the southern states, where, whatever soil is available into as good condi- 



a few species such as silver maple and elm during mild winter weather, the nuts are likely tion as possible under the circumstances. It is 



ripen late in the' spring, and should be collected to s P rout if bl 'ried in layers of sand. well to have the seed bed in a place where it 



then and immediately planted, since they soon See ds such as those of mulberry, catalpa, osage will not be exposed too directly to the sun. If 



lose their vitality. orange, 'and a few other trees may be kept in possible, it should have a partial protection by 



Tree seeds must be collected chiefly by hand- F ood condition by being placed in' sacks hung being situated to the east or north of a grouo 



picking. Certain classes of them, such as honey in a cool, dry place away from danger of in- cf trees or buildings. 



locust seeds, acorns, hickorynuts, walnuts, and Jury by rats and mice. Unless the land to be used is very rich and in 

 butternuts, which fall readily with the wind Ttin<, th. <! P ^<= good. condition for the nursery, it is well to en- 

 Mid frost, may be gathered from the ground r c " it in the fail with well-rotted manure. The 

 after they have fallen. The smaller, thin-coated A few weeks before time to plant the tree ground should then be plowed or spaded deepl; 

 seeds, like those of maples, boxelder, ashes, and seeds it will be well to test them in order to see eft with ut further preparation during th 

 elms should be picked from the tree by hand or if , h h retained their vitalitv while in stor V ]^ CT - J n .* s P r -S> .as soon as condition 

 ted from the ground as soon as they fall w ' 1! permr, it should ig.-un be worked over wit 

 Since the first seeds which fall are often sterile. a ? L '- , " ,1 s important that this be done, because a spade or plow and thoroughly pulverized b, 

 care should he taken to collect only the fertile of . the disappointing results from sowing poor raking and harrow!"-* rmti! all clods, stones 

 seeds which fall later. Methods of testing the Be *?*; : " ld rubbish have been removed. The bette 

 germination of seeds will he discribed later in C . ut J break P>, a number of seeds and ex- the conchtion of the soil the better the result 

 this irticlc amme the kernels. If the seeds are in good con- will be. Too much attention can not be givei. 

 t th <5 ^H dition for growing, the kernels will be plump to the preparation of the soil. 



and firm. If the kernels are withered, the seeds The size of the plat of ground needed will, of 



Thick hulls like those . ot the walnuts and are unfit for planting, and should be discarded course, depend upon the amount and variety of 



hickorynuts should be dried and removed and if a better supply can be obtained. If not, sow seeds to be sown. The seeds of the common 



the nuts spread out to dry in some cool, airy them more thickly than customary. broadleaf trees should be planted in rows. If 



